Our Team

UX/UI Designer
Graduate Student – School of Information

Anuya has an undergraduate background in computer science and graphic design and has previously worked in the areas of software development and computational physics research. She is currently pursuing the field of human-computer interaction and her goal is to combine design principles with technology to help develop innovative, human-centric solutions. 

Dwayne Barnes

Storytelling & Knowledge Development
Resident PIT Entrepreneur

Dwayne M Barnes Jr, MPA lives at the intersection of technology, economics, policy and urban culture. He is the founder of Social Technology Ventures, a think tank company that focuses on the issues related to technology creation, consumption, and its impact in urban communities. Dwayne has extensive experience in public policy and think tank organizations across the state of Michigan with an emphasis in community engagement and policy analysis. Barnes earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Oakland University and a BS in African American Studies from Eastern Michigan University. He is married to Doria Barnes and has two children Dwayne III and Dylan.

Haihong Zheng

UX/UI Designer & Storytelling

Haihong has a background in language and literature and has been working in digital marketing. She is curious about the dynamics between language and thoughts, including how narratives can shape people’s mind, and how different ways of organizing and displaying information can create various effects. She now continues her exploration from verbal information to visual information as a graduate student in the field of UX design. She aims to leverage her talents in narrative to UX design and create effective and pleasant experiences for users.

Jessica Taketa

Project Manager
Graduate Student – Public Policy and School of Information

Jessica has worked in various organizations pertaining to the field of higher education including institutions, state systems, and non-profit research and advocacy organizations. Her work has focused on increasing the access and success of marginalized students, with the belief that social and economic mobility should be attainable to all populations.

Full-Stack Developer
Doctoral Candidate – School of Information

Pei-Yao has a background in computer science and conducts research in the areas of Human-Computer Interaction (UX) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (e.g., social computing). His recent projects include improving the inclusivity of a lung cancer screening decision aid and supporting patients’ control over sensor data to negotiate independence. He enjoyed designing and developing systems to empower people in their everyday pursuits, such as learning, social interaction, and health.

Strategy and Operations
Resident PIT Entrepreneur

Hampshire has worked extensively across the private, public, and social sector as a technology consultant and a social entrepreneur. He focuses on developing knowledge based on the lived experiences and collective stories of underrepresented social entrepreneurs. He received a masters degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and is an alum of the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs.

Principal Investigator
Research Faculty, University of Michigan

Dr. Fabusuyi’s research interests are in Urban Systems and Operations Research, specifically designing and implementing initiatives that support sustainable and resilient communities with a focus on efficiency and equity issues. Dr. Fabusuyi was a Planning Economist at the African Development Bank and an adjunct Economics faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University, where he received his Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy.

Yun Lee

Data Analytics and Network Theory
Graduate Student – School of Information

Yun has a background in social science and is in pursuit of how modern technology could foster substantive equality. She has previous work experience across tech, age-tech, and the healthcare industry, and her passion lies within creating accessible and interpretable tools through the use of data.

Acknowledgements

Associate Professor, Public Policy
Former Principal Investigator

Dr. Hampshire is currently on leave from the Ford School, serving as principal deputy assistant secretary for research and technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Alumni

Shelby Pitts

Storytelling & Knowledge Development
Graduate Student – School of Information

Shelby is a first year Master’s in Information student with a bachelor’s in Anthropology from Michigan State University. Her curiosity has led her to the field of human-computer interaction and her research interests involve the anthropology of science & technology, tech ethics, and afrofuturism. She understands that the expertise of social scientists is increasingly important in order to address the social issues connected to the design and implementation of technology into society. She was a graduate research assistant with the Technology Assessment Project through the Ford School of Public Policy and is a research affiliate with the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing (ESC).

Jihee Yoon

Former Visual Storytelling & Front-End Developer (UX/Web)
Graduate Student – School of Information

Jihee has an undergraduate degree in communication design with an emphasis in graphic design, and has previously worked in non-profit and marketing industries as a multidisciplinary designer. She is currently pursuing the field of Human Computer Interaction in the hopes to contribute to creating more ethical, human-centric interactions within virtual/augmented reality.

Antonia Sweet

Former Research Analyst
Graduate Student – School of Information

Antonia has spent the past decade working in the education and youth development sphere focusing on breaking down barriers to people exercising their agency. Her belief in the power of data to make seen the unseen, but recognizes that while data may be neutral, the process by which it becomes useful information is not. Only through understanding the social in sociotechnology can we hope to use technology in an equitable way to serve people and solve problems. She has a bachelor’s in anthropology and political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is pursuing a master’s of science in information with a focus on data science for social good/public policy.

Eric Rodriguez

Former Project Manager

Eric is a public sector consultant and former community organizer for technology and transportation equity. He has focused on making sure those who have been excluded from policymaking and design are at the forefront of creating solutions, especially as it pertains to self-driving vehicles and digital equity. Currently, Eric supports cities in embedding equity into their transportation and electrification strategies. Eric received his Masters of Public Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan (2019).

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Complete this interest form and/or email us at UM-PIT-KN@umich.edu 

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